Senate Approves Normalized Trade With China, 83-15
By Matthew Vita
20 September 2000
The Senate voted by a huge margin yesterday to normalize trade relations with China, capping one of the biggest legislative battles of the year and heightening the prospect of a historic economic opening by the world’s most populous country.
The 83-15 vote sets the stage for China’s accession to the World Trade Organization, possibly before the end of the year, as those advocating increased engagement with the communist giant overwhelmed critics who argued that the trade deal is an abandonment of democratic principles in the name of corporate profits.
